For at least two decards, it was thought that Plavac Mali was the ancestor, or Croatian counterpart of Zinfandel. Coincidentally, it is thought that Zinfandel arrived in California around 1852. And when, between 1890 and 1900 most of northern California’s vineyards were destroyed by phylloxera, Zinfandel was among the survivors.
Continue readingAuthor: Amy Corron Power
Falling Prey to Wine Rating Peer Pressure
This is one of the reasons we at Another Wine Blog don’t rate wines and very rarely tell you about the wines we don’t like. We don’t give points, or grades, or stars, or thumbs up or down. While we do pay attention to Robert Parker, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator and Stephen Tanzer, we figure most other ratings are pretty subjective. And we figure you have enough numbers and letters to think about without our adding to the mix.
Continue readingView from a Santorini Winery
Words and pictures cannot begin to prepare you for the breathtaking beauty and authenticity of Santorini, its wines and its wineries. But I wanted to post picture from each of the wineries or tasting rooms to help share my experience.
Continue readingWine Conferences: No Time for Writing About Wine
Wine Conferences are often so packed with activities, there is no time to write about the wine! Can you imagine being invited to write about wine, but then having no time to do so?
Continue readingBig John Bates and the Punk-a-Billy Strippers
Photos from Big John Bates concert during WBC2010. Includes a few risque photos of strippers. Probably not suitable for work or family dinner.
Continue readingFor Purple Mountain Majesty…
I’ve always thought that America The Beautiful should be our National Anthem. One, because it’s much easier to sing. But primarily because it focuses on the beauty of the country, rather than the ugliness of war. Sure, it talks about freedom, and patriotism, and heroes; but the main focus is on the magnificence of its lands and the innate goodness of its people.
Continue readingWho are you calling a Shameless Hussy?
At the tasting we met a delightful couple, Don and Judy Phelps, owners of “Hard Row to Hoe” Vineyards. They poured a refreshing Sangiovese Dry Rosé. And Judy told me the story behind the name. Seems that back in the late 1930s, there was a brothel located at Point Lovely.
Continue readingWBC-or-Bust! We Made it to Walla Walla
Take Our Seats, Please! Red Mountain AVA Wine Tour
Established in 2001, the Red Mountain AVA is an over 4,000 acre area, with over 700 vineyards currently planted. Located on the eastern edge of Yakima Valley, the “mountain” is more of a steep slope, which faces southwest near the Yakima River. Many Washington wineries source their grapes from Red Mountain, which includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Sangiovese, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
Continue reading